Tasty Veggies (No Recipe Needed!), Plus So Many Cracker Finds!

I like steamed veggies, but I want to dress 'em up without having to follow a full-on recipe. Any ideas?

Veggin' Out

Hi Veggin' Out,

Everyone knows you can't have dessert until you've finished your vegetables -- and if you dress up your veggies the HG way, you won't mind that one bit! Here are some quick 'n easy ways to add some pizzazz to plain ol' steamed vegetables:

'Tis the Seasoning... Seasoning your veggies takes just seconds, and there are so many mixes out there to choose from. Seasoning mixes make it easy to get great-tasting veggies without having to figure out the right blend of spices. Plus, they're virtually calorie-free. Hit the spice section of the supermarket to find flavor mixes like Italian, Cajun, and lemon pepper. Your best bet for easy seasoning is to go for the mixes in shakers, as opposed to packets -- the packeted products are typically meant to be mixed with water and/or added during cooking. If sodium's a concern, look for no-salt options like McCormick's Perfect Pinch Salt Free line (the Fiesta Citrus is especially tasty) and all of the salt-free seasonings from Mrs. Dash (everything from Tomato Basil Garlic to Southwest Chipotle). Good stuff!

Salad Days... Treat your hot veggies like their cooler counterparts by tossing 'em in some low-cal salad dressing. My absolute FAVORITE is Newman's Own Sesame Ginger salad dressing, which tastes great on just about every veggie and has only 35 calories and 1.5g fat per 2-tbsp. serving. I'm also a fan of Newman's Own Honey Mustard dressing (70 calories and 4g fat per 2-tbsp. serving).

Pre-Seasoned-or-Sauced Veggie Finds... Grab a bag of Green Giant Seasoned Steamers... all the work's been done for you! These steamers come in yummy varieties like Tuscan Seasoned Broccoli and salt-and-peppery Brussels Sprouts. Or go for GG's sauced veggies, like the always-awesome Broccoli & Cheese Sauce. Find these all in the freezer aisle.

By the way, for steamed veggies made easy, look for steam-in-the-bag frozen finds. Or just microwave your veggies in a covered bowl with a little bit of water until they're soft. Hope this helps make your veggie prep easy peasy and your veggies full of deliciousness!

Hi, HG!

I'm kind of cracker obsessed. I love munching on the crunchy snacks. Can you give me some picks that aren't high in calories and fat? P.S. I will be so excited if this question ends up in an HG email!!!

Cracker Craver

Hi Cracker Craver,

Try to contain your excitement, 'cuz there's your Q... and here's your A! Lots of people love crackers, but the snacks can be a little dangerous to your diet if you're not careful. Luckily, I've rounded up some of the best guilt-free finds...

The Savory...Wasa and Doctor Kracker make amazing flatbread-style crackers with 110 calories or less -- large, thin, crispy, and great with a wedge of The Laughing Cow Light cheese or cream cheese spread. Special K Cracker Chips are pretty amazing -- 110 calories and 2.5 - 3g fat for an impressive serving size of 27 - 30 chips. For single-serving packs, look no further than Nabisco 100 Cal Packs of Ritz Snack Mix! To snag a snack that comes with a HUGE cracker count per serving, check out Crunchmaster Cheezy Crisps. Sixty cheddar-y crisps for 120 calories and 3g fat! And they're gluten-free. Want more gluten-free finds? Pick up a box of Blue Diamond Natural Almond Nut-Thins. Also check out Van's gluten-free crackers, in Multigrain, Say Cheese!, and Lots of Everything!

... And the Sweet! Lookin' for sweet stuff? Low-fat honey graham crackers are always a good choice, with about 65 calories and 1g fat per 4-cracker sheet. And even though they're not labeled as low-fat, cinnamon and chocolate grahams are delicious and impressive in the stats department -- about 70 calories and 1.5 - 2g fat per sheet. These next two finds are portion controlled and definitely worth ordering online -- FiberGourmet Cinnamon Thinables in 70-calorie packs and the wonderfully peanut buttery PBthins in 100-calorie packs. And for a portion-controlled supermarket staple, dig into a 1-oz. bag of classic Barnum's Animals Crackers -- only 120 calories. It's like a tasty trip down memory lane! Barbara's Bakery Snackimals are FANTASTIC, too. These come in fun cookie flavors like Snickerdoodle, Vanilla, and new flavors Double Chocolate and Peanut Butter!

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Today, February 27th, is National Strawberry Day. It's not exactly prime strawberry season, so why not whip up some goodies with frozen unsweetened strawberries? Click here for more than a dozen recipe ideas!

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